Media release Monday Feb 27

Climate Emergency Declaration at Parliament House Canberra Today

Media are invited to attend the following event today at the front forecourt at APH – Monday Feb 27 for:

1. 12 Noon SHARP 15 minutes only – Photos and statements by Dr John Hewson, Ian Dunlop, Adam Bandt MP and Pat Conroy MP on the occasion of the hand over of a petition calling on the Australian Parliament to declare a climate emergency

Former leader of the Opposition Dr John Hewson and federal Members of Parliament for Melbourne Adam Bandt MP and for Shortland New South Wales Pat Conroy MP will today join with engineering kayak adventurer Steve Posselt at the front door of Parliament House in Canberra to deliver a petition containing over 18,000 signatures calling on the Australian Parliament to declare a climate emergency.

After 1150km of ocean paddling along the New South Wales coast from his home in Ballina, Steve Posselt – engineer, grandfather of 5 and ocean-kayaking ecowarrier – has now also completed 180km of dusty hot trekking on foot to arrive at last at the front doors of Parliament House in Canberra.

‘Engineers have always been at the forefront of providing solutions to humanity’s most pressing problems. But sometimes engineers have to do more than just respond to a design challenge. They need to lead. And Steve is doing just that with his climate change journey. A great inspiration to all of us.’—-Adrian Piani, Environmental College of Engineers Australia

‘Given the latest evidence, it is almost impossible to now keep the temperature increase below 1.5°C or even 2°C with the current approaches,’ says Ian Dunlop, former chair, Australian Coal Association. ‘We have left it too late to solve the climate dilemma with a graduated response; emergency action, akin to placing economies on a war footing, remains essential.’—–Ian Dunlop, former chair, Australian Coal Association

‘If everything promised at Paris is delivered, the planet will likely see global warming exceed a three degree rise above pre-industrial temperatures. Three degrees means no Arctic or Antarctic ice, no glaciers, and very likely no humans.’—–Steve Posselt, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Engineers

‘In World War 2, faced with an extreme threat, countries mobilised their economies for action in years not decades. Now, faced with the accelerating catastrophic impacts of climate change we need to act equally decisively and at the same huge scale – to deliver ‘victory’, that is the restoration of a safe climate. The Climate Emergency Declaration petition is putting this approach on the agenda for the community and governments.’—-Philip Sutton, co-author of Climate Code Red

‘The Climate Emergency Declaration and Mobilisation petition is a tangible expression of the growing public demand for an effective full-scale response to the climate reality.’—-Margaret Hender, one of the organisers of the petition